


Ghost of Christmas Future Fish

by Daxii



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, M/M, ghost!Rin, ish?, sharkbaitss2015, this is quite a surreal experience, this whole thing kinda reads like I'm on drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 02:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5521442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daxii/pseuds/Daxii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas Eve and Haru is supposed to be spending it alone until he gets a mysterious guest who wants to help him find his future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost of Christmas Future Fish

Haru returns home from the store and enters through the back door the keys to the front being lost somewhere in the bottom of the grocery bag in his rush to pack up and get out of there as quickly as possible. The latch usually requires more fiddling than what it does right now. Makoto had breaking in down to an _art_ but it always took Haru a few tries. It's like it's been recently opened and not locked correctly from the other side. He makes sure to firmly bolt it shut.

After all, it's not like Makoto needs it anymore.

He lets his shoes land somewhere in the hallway to deal with later and shuffles into the kitchen to put his food away. Just the things he can't get at the market with his staff discount. After all, it's not like filleting fish for hours actually pays all that well.

He considers going to the pool for the afternoon, but it's _cold_ and he's not sure he really wants to brave those stairs again, most of the week's snow having compacted into an icy death trap. But the lounge is cosy, with his new swiveling, circular arm chair he picked up cheap with his first pay package. His favourite blanket should be freshly dried, not that he's making a _habit_ of this kind of sulking solitude, but it helps, sort of.

Except fate has other plans for him today.

He enters the lounge with his blanket already wrapped around his shoulders, but there's a weird wine red blur poking out over the top of his chair. It's hazy, like a fog or a mist, but the shape is so clear it looks like it should be solid. It's like the top of a head.

And then the chair starts to spin around and Haru can only blink.

"Hello!" the figure in the chair - it _was_ the top of a head, the head of a guy around his age, dressed in clothes that are oddly summery and traditional for this time of year, and he's so _blurry(???)_ , as if out of focus. "My name is Matsuoka Rin. I have a girly name, but I'm a boy!"

The recital sounds entirely rehearsed, practiced, done to death.

"What..." Haru steels himself. He can't get over this _blurriness_ but there's clearly a bigger question at hand first. He's glad his face is naturally so passive, because behind the blank expression he's kind of freaking out. "What are you doing in my house?"

Rin grins. "Don't you know what the date is? It's Christmas Eve!"

Haru blinks. "Santa isn't real..." or this young and slim. "And that has nothing to do with why you're in my house."

"No, silly! I'm the Ghost of Christmas Future. _Your_ future, to be exact. Or the lack of it, since you've apparently given up," he rolls his eyes like he genuinely has some right to be annoyed with Haru.

"Do I not get a past and present?" Haru asks, logically.

"Pfft, you swim and you eat mackerel. They could make a sports anime about it. I've read your file, I know the drill. What I _don't_ know is why you never followed your dream, Nanase Haruka!"

"How do you..." wait. Never mind. He apparently has a _file,_ of course he's going to know his name. "I don't _have_ a dream. It's none of your business. And I _don't_ need a _ghost_ in my house."

"Yeah ya do! Or I wouldn't have been sent. I'm here on orders from the higher ups. You can make a formal complaint, but our mailing system is pretty slow. Don't have wifi in the heavens yet..."

Haru looks down and away, thinking. "If you're a ghost, why did you break in. Can't you... walk through walls?" And it's probably not the most appropriate thing to be dwelling on, but what else can he say?

"I was trying to re-enact a scene from your youth! Coming in through the back, pulling you out of the bathtub, sharing your breakfast... apparently you and your bestie did that all the time."

Haru snaps his head up. Something sets in on Rin's face, a smug smirk like he's already won.

"Is that a bit of a soft spot for you? Missing your Mako, huh?"

"Don't," Haru scowls.

Rin, surprisingly, shuts up. But that doesn't get him out of his house. He stands, taller than Haru, but less so when his feet audibly hit the ground as he stops floating and is... solid?

"I get it," Rin says, softly. "I had a best friend, too."

Haru notes the past tense but doesn't say anything. He's mentally torn. Someone's broken into his house, he's met a _ghost_ and... now... he's supposed to do something about his future? With _this_ guy?! Rin grins at him, hands clasped behind his head.

"Come on, we only have eight hours to midnight. We need to get going."

"Going where...?"

"Australia!"

"What? No." He's not going to _Australia_ with some guy/ghost he met three minutes ago.

Rin frowns at him. "Fine. Let's stay right here."

And then he grabs Haru's hand and clicks his fingers.

 

There's a cloud of fog and the first thing Haru sees is himself, curled up in the same blanket in the same chair. And then he sees the empty cans and bottles on the table, the dishes piled in the kitchen. His face is gaunt, skin pale, eyes empty.

Haru grips onto Rin, waiting for something, but the silence stretches on until the Haru on the couch picks up his phone and scowls at the screen. And then he gets up.

"We should follow him," Rin says gently. "He can't see or hear us. Stay close. You don't want to get lost in your own future..."

"Where's he going?" Haru asks, equally quiet. "When is this?"

"Summer, five years from now. Just watch."

They watch him make his way down to the beach, but Rin stops them at the cliffs, squeezing Haru's hand. Their future Haru does nothing. He doesn't rip his clothes off and dive in like Haru's dying to do. He just... stares.

"You don't swim any more," Rin whispers. "I think... you've forgotten how. You don't feel safe."

"You're lying."

"I wish."

 

And suddenly they're back in the lounge, Rin easing Haru down into the chair and perching on the side. It's weird how he flickers between being so solid when he touches Haru, so grounded when he seems to _choose_ , and keeps losing himself in this default setting of _ghost_ that Haru still can't quite believe.

"Hard to see yourself like that?" Rin asks.

Haru's still not let go of his hand and just nods.

"Sorry... I won't show you that again. Can I get you a drink?"

"Water," Rin gets up, blurred and floating, making apparently useless strides with his legs as he glides to the door - and through it. "Cups above the..."

"I know," Rin calls. He must have done this before, suddenly so professional and courteous as he is. Quite the contrast to the cheek and the whole breaking-and-entering thing, but Haru's just about given up trying to rationalise the whole thing.

Rin returns with two tall glasses, turning the handle with his elbow. His steps when he's fully formed are heavy and clumsy, not used to using them, and he even looks a little embarrassed by it.

"Scoot up?" he sits down anyway, tight next to Haru on the single chair and...warm. Haru gives him an extra inch.

"I don't understand," he says after a sip. "You..."

"Yeah... takes a bit of getting used to. Your world is full of ghosts. Just walking the street, always observing. Looking after the ones we left behind."

"There must be someone more deserving than me..." Haru mutters. "Where this won't be wasted -"

"Stop right there. That's exactly why I'm here."

"But -"

"Nope," Rin clasps his hand over Haru's mouth. "Might need a little extension on that deadline though."

Haru decides that going quiet is probably his best option right now. He just shrugs when Rin takes control of the TV, watching him as he becomes fascinated with one of those How It's Made programs. Probably catching up on everything he's missed since...

Rin is dead. Rin is his age, just a high school graduate like him, maybe in college, maybe a drop-out, and he's... dead. He doesn't exist anymore. His life just stopped, right where Haru's is now and oh, oh the times he's wished it was him, thought about it, how easy it would be, how better off he would be...

"Stop thinking. I can feel it," Rin mutters, and then his head is leaning on Haru's shoulder. "It's alright. That's why I'm here."

 

Haru's surprised to wake up in his own bed. He doesn't remember leaving the lounge after his conversation with...

He sits up so fast he goes dizzy, desperately looking for Rin. His memories are so clear yet hazy, kinda like the ghost himself. He finally sees a foot floating and follows it up. Rin's asleep in his ghost form near the ceiling, all balled up with one leg hanging down. Do ghosts even sleep?

It's still dark and if Haru had to guess it would be some unhealthy hour, but it's...

Rin slits one eye open. "Merry Christmas."

"You too," Haru murmurs and lays back down. "Is that...comfy?"

Rin shrugs and floats down, settling next to Haru even though he sinks through the pillow and quilt a little bit.

"I was gonna take the chair but... just didn't feel like leaving you alone. Go back to sleep."

Haru does, and when he wakes again the room his bright. Yesterday is clearer in his memories now, and it somehow seems... normal? Rin knows so much about him that he's hard to ignore, and he can't quell the little niggle inside him that wants to know more about Rin.

He finds him in the kitchen, whipping up pancakes and humming a tune. Haru doesn't think he's been noticed, until Rin sticks his hand out and demands the spatula.

"Just sugar and lemon, right?" Rin asks. Haru nods. "Eat up! Big day ahead!"

Yeah. The day his parents show up - or maybe they'll make an excuse like they did on his birthday and fob him off with a phone call. He's quietly hoping for the latter.

Rin sits across from him and steals a bite from his plate.

"Ugh. Gonna feel that later," Rin frowns. Haru raises an eyebrow. "Ghosts aren't exactly compatible with solid food... gotta come out somehow, you know?"

Haru swallows his fork-full. "Do you _mind?_ "

"Don't act like you're so sensitive!"

"Think I preferred you when you were on the ceiling."

"Hey! Don't you know how hard it is to get a flight on Christmas day?"

What? They're not...

"And we have to leave pretty soon, alright? Just... just trust me, Haru."

"Why should I?"

Rin leans through the table, right through Haru's plate and in his face. It would be menacing, if he didn't look so sad.

"Because when I got my chance, I didn't. And look where I am now."

And then he slides back like nothing's happened and puts on another grin. "I'll pack you a bag while you finish and have a shower and stuff, kay?"

Haru doesn't have much of an appetite anymore.

 

"Precision landing, don't you think?" Rin laughs, floating above Haru in the tiny toilet cubicle. Haru's about to open his mouth when Rin clamps his hand over it. "No one else can see or hear me when I'm like this. Don't get caught talking to yourself."

Haru nods and adjusts the satchel Rin threw at him before teleporting them here. The stalls are too quiet as it is. He gives the toilet a cursory flush and goes to the sinks, just because he doesn't want to look gross to anyone who might notice. He can see Rin's foggy figure next to him, but there's no reflection in the mirror across. Except when Rin comes to touch his face, just two fingers brushing under his eye, the physical contact making him whole. Or maybe he's choosing to, just to comfort Haru. He can't tell.

"Don't be nervous. I'll be right here. Even I can't get you past border controls though."

Rin latches weightlessly to Haru's back, legs wrapped around his waist and arms draped over his shoulder. Haru can feel him, know's he's there, but he _can't_ feel him. There's nothing to touch, no weight to hoist up, Rin's just... there. Just for him.

He keeps whispering as Haru queues for the check in, little hints to tell him that his passport and ticket are in the front pocket of his bag when he gets to the desk. Haru flinches when he puts his hand right through Rin's leg. Rin giggles in his ear and says it tickles.

It doesn't help that the flight is so long. Haru is crammed between two strangers who both smell too strongly of their chosen fragrance, and neither of them seem to be able to keep their feet within the boundaries of their allocated space. Haru keeps his knees together, Rin awkwardly sitting in his lap with his legs crossed. It's gone from being uncomfortable on principle to being straight up annoying that Haru's having to view the in-flight entertainment screen through the back of Rin's hazy head. And then there's this weird distance. Haru's not exactly the most affectionate type but there's all those things ingrained into him that he feels are necessary to do in this kind of situation. He wants to wrap an arm around Rin or set his hand on his side. Just to secure him, if he's going to be sitting all over him, but there's nothing there. He's glad for the closeness. He couldn't make this trip alone.

The only reason they get through security is by Rin whispering English phrases for Haru to garble out in all the right places. He's pretty sure the passport controller checks for an earpiece, but they make it through and Rin takes Haru's hand in the mass of people. He's still not visible, but Rin's making his fingers solid for Haru to hold onto, hidden in his grasp, and tows him along until they make it to the connecting train station. He materialises behind a vending machine, dropping Haru's hand.

"I've got us a hotel booked and everything. Pulling out all the stops for this assignment."

  
_Assignment_. That's all Haru really is, he realises. It puts things in perspective, but at the same time, this is the first time he's really felt cared about since Makoto moved to university.

" _Because_ ," Rin interrupts his thoughts, "I like you. So don't make that face. This is all for you, because you're so important, alright?"

Haru looks away. He doesn't know how to respond.

"I'll look after you, all right? We'll get you sorted."

He laces his fingers between Haru's again and leans back against the side of the vending machine as they wait for their train, leaving just enough room between himself and the wall for Haru to slide in next to him.

They separate to get on the train and take their seats, and Haru is glad for the time to clear his head and collect himself. He doesn't like these weird feelings. Too much dependence and trust for Rin in such a small amount of time, and it's so _temporary_. There's probably some medical term he can file this under if he was interested, but right now he just _needs_ Rin. He finds his hand again. It'll have to do.

Rin strokes Haru's thumb with his own and says nothing.

 

He fades out again, somewhere in the the street without Haru or anyone around them realising he's suddenly vanished, and he's back on Haru's back to give him directions.

"You know, I'm breaking all the rules by getting us checked in first. I'm supposed to be taking you off to find your dream... show you a sight you've never seen before."

"All I want is a nap," Haru hisses.

Rin laughs. "Figured."

He coaches Haru through the check-in, apparently fluent in English, and Haru's so glad he didn't get a ghost as linguistically challenged as he is.

Rin clambers from his back and materialises in front of Haru, swiping the key with a grin.

"Why don't you run down to that fast food joint down the street and get us some goodies, hmm?" he suggests.

"Uh..." Haru doesn't really want to go back out into this unfamiliar city by himself. It's still plenty bright - it's summer here - but he feels like he'll get lost or get _left_ and chokes on his words when Rin looks at him for an answer.

"Or you... order room service and I'll put it on my bill for the big guys?" Rin suggests instead.

He finally lets them in and takes Haru's bag to store it on top of the dresser, slipping off his shoes.

"There's only one bed," Haru observes, and Rin's already lying on it.

"Well it'd look a bit strange if you ordered a twin room for just one person. Don't worry about it, I'll take the ceiling."

"I might take a bath before bed," Haru says, peeking into the en-suite and smiling at the large tub. "What do I do if my parents call?"

"Taken care of it," Rin dismisses. "Go for your bath."

 

Rin picks at Haru's food, a fish fillet burger and fries he apparently finds more tasty than Haru does, but it's nice to have something in his stomach and feel clean from the day's travel. Rin has control of the telly again, but Haru can't complain about his choice of shows. He's so childlike with how _fascinated_ he is with each new documentary he finds that Haru can't help but be endeared, but they're both getting tired. Rin starts to lose control of keeping himself fully formed, hazing out and floating up a few inches until he opens his eyes again, plopping back onto the bed so hard Haru bounces a little next to him.

"Is it bedtime?"

"But I wanted to see the end of thiiiiis," Rin whines.

"Fine. I'm gonna use the bathroom. I bet you're asleep when I get back."

Haru gets up and walks around the bed, Rin lashing out at him with a halfhearted kick when he passes. Haru catches his ankle, but Rin just pulls it through his hold and sticks his tongue out. Haru's cleaning his teeth when Rin walks through the (locked, uselessly) bathroom door and materialises just as he drapes himself over Haru's back, but he's still not heavy, still not warm, like he should be. Haru likes his presence all the same, even if he doesn't have the words to explain it.

"I'm tired," Rin admits. Haru almost wants to laugh.

"I'm sure the ceiling is waiting for you."

Rin moans and crawls up onto Haru's back, still weightless even though Haru can feel him holding on now. He carries him back to the bedroom, dropping him on the bed and going to the dresser for his bag to change. He glances at Rin.

"Do ghosts change clothes?" he asks curiously.

Rin snaps his fingers and morphs into a crosslegged position on the bed, proudly leaning back on his hands to show off his tiger striped sleepsuit.

"... All right, then." Haru's Loosey-kun shirt won't match up to Rin's ensemble at all, but he's more than okay with that.

He's still on the bed when Haru's getting in, shuffling like he wants to say something but doesn't know how, and eventually just takes the top blanket and wraps up in it, floating his way up when he closes his eyes.

 

Haru struggles to sleep, trying hard not to toss and turn and disturb Rin, but he just can't get his mind to settle. So many questions. So little time for answers. For the strangest days in his life, Haru finally feels happy. Dream or no dream - he doesn't even know what Rin's brought him to the other side of the world _for_ \- he just wants to spend more time with him, feed off his energy. And if he finds his dream, Rin will leave.

"What have I told you about thinking too hard?" Rin mumbles from above him, lying out on his front about 5 feet up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Rin snorts. "Yeah right. For some reason, I don't believe you."

Haru stays quiet until Rin is hovering at arm's reach, so close Haru could touch him if he wouldn't go through him.

"Talk to me. I'm here to help you, Haru."

Haru nods but the words don't make sense in his head yet, and Rin gets bored of watching him and comes to his side, becoming solid and sliding under the covers like he belongs there, arm flopped over Haru's stomach so he can't get away.

"How long have you been d- a... ghost?" he finally asks.

Rin shrugs, inching closer so his head is on Haru's shoulder now. "Dunno. Time works differently when your existence isn't linear."

"How do you... how did you...?"

"How do most young men at the peak of physical fitness pass away unexpectedly?" there's a cutting sarcasm to Rin's tone Haru wasn't expecting.

"Accident?"

"Or...?"

Haru sucks in a breath. "Oh... I'm sorry." And then he realises, "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Nah, you're not as weak as me. You just need a push in the right direction. A push with a battering ram at times but... you'll get there."

"I don't want you to go, if I do."

Rin laughs a little, tugging Haru closer and rolling them both onto their sides so Haru's being hugged tight to Rin's chest. "That's not part of the deal"

"But what if I still need you?"

"I told you. You're not as weak as me. Go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere yet."

 

It's a little disconcerting to wake up holding onto a disembodied hand with a disembodied knee between his legs, but a few nudges and squeezes and Rin regains consciousness enough that his whole body is solidly pressing against Haru, arm tightening around him just for comfort.

"Breakfast is soon," Rin's voice is thick with sleep, muffled against Haru's neck. "And then I can finally take you where I wanted to in the first place."

Haru sincerely hopes Rin actually knows where he's going and they're not just relying on some sort of divine intelligence to guide them through the city. For Christmas Day, he's surprised how active the city still is.

"This way. I promise," Rin turns and grins at him, lacing their fingers together as he leads them through an entry way with a sign in English Haru can't read.

He can't tell if Rin's hand feels hotter than before or if it's just his own nervous sweat transferring over. He gives an experimental squeeze, only to have Rin flash him another smile. He can smell chlorine.

"Is this a pool?" Haru asks, looking around.

"Not _just_ a pool! This is the aquatic center they used for the Sydney Olympics. The Australian team still use it for training."

"Oh... that's pretty... intense," Haru mumbles.

They get into the locker room and Rin sits Haru down on the bench, crouching in front of him. "I don't want to pressure you but... just swim, Haru. Swim with me."

"Can you even swim?"

"Oh, _Haru!_ Just for that, it is _on!_ "

Haru sighs and lets Rin bully him into his swimsuit. The pool is quiet, but that's not to be unexpected on Christmas Day, with only the serious swimmers showing up for a few laps just for fitness purposes. Haru's never really understood those people he sees out jogging in the early morning of a holiday, but it's the same as this. It's what they want for the rest of their life, and it can't be interrupted by anything.

But Rin suddenly gets awkward as they make their way to the blocks, and even though he calls the start and they dive in, Haru feels like he's holding back. When he catches up to Haru he gets out too quickly, making a face and looking around. Haru holds his hand out in a request to be hauled up, and Rin doesn't want to let go.

"What's wrong? You've gone all... weird."

"It's nothing. You... you trust me, right?"

Haru nods, frowning.

"Alright. Sorry. Just... hey, why don't you go and sit down and I'll run and grab us a couple of drinks. Or at least, I'll get you a drink, I guess? Heh."

"Heh," Haru lets Rin take them over to an empty space on the bleachers, but before he can sit down, he's squeezed into a hug.

Haru hesitates for a second before looping his arms around Rin's waist and up his back. Rin is draped around his neck, nuzzling in a little too tightly to his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just... I'll be back. Whatever happens, don't leave this place."

"Rin, wait. What's going on?"

Rin pulls off, stepping back and putting some distance between them. "I can't say... just promise me you won't go anywhere. I'll be back."

"Rin?" Rin backs up more and turns, quickening his pace. "Rin!" he calls.

He sees him dematerlialise before he's even through the door.

 

The pool is all that offers Haru some kind of sanctum. He's glad he's alone in the water, and swimming back and forth helps fight off the fear that's starting to set in. It's such a foreign place... he hardly speaks the language... and Rin, his ghost, his _guardian_ , has just up and left him.

He gets out after a few laps, and it can't have been _that_ long since Rin vanished, but Haru's so anxious that it feels like forever.

There's someone else swimming and he watches them. His butterfly stroke is powerful, but he has a body shape that Haru thinks would be more suited to freestyle. He doesn't know why he's drawn to watching this person rather than the others who are closer to him to see, but he does, and the guy finally gets out to remount the block and looks around.

Haru narrows his eyes as he takes in what he sees. Even with his cap and goggles, Haru can't shake the fact that he looks identical to Rin. He stares, and the guy smirks at him from the other side of the pool.

"Hey!" he calls in English, and then apparently gets a better look at Haru. "Are you Japanese?"

Haru manages to nod, swallowing. His throat is too dry. Rin needs to hurry up with that drink.

"Well don't just sit there staring! Get over here!"

Someone clears their throat over Haru's shoulder, but interrupts him before he can look. "Don't turn around, keep watching him."

Rin sits next to him in his ghost form, putting his hand in Haru's even though it's just a mist.

"That's me, before I started getting sick and frustrated. I came here and joined the team for the local university right out of high school. I think this is the end of my first year, so I'm the same age as you. This is right now, in your present. I don't make it to another Christmas."

Haru gets up, feeling Rin hovering behind him as he walks around to Rin on the blocks. He's stronger than his ghost Rin, there's more of a fire in his eyes.

"Hey," he looks at Haru, confused. "Do I... know you from somewhere?"

"Sort of," Haru shrugs. "It's... hard to explain."

Ghost Rin laughs a little in his ear. "I'll meet you in the locker room when you're done here, alright? Maybe things can work out for both of us."


End file.
